Most countries walk out of UN General Assembly session ahead of Netanyahu speech

​​​​​​​ISTANBUL

In an extraordinary scene of protest, a majority of state delegations walked out of the UN General Assembly on Friday just before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began his address to the body.

◼️ Delegates stage a mass walkout as Netanyahu arrived at the podium to address the UN General Assembly

⚖️ Netanyahu has an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against him for alleged war crimes in Gaza https://t.co/5lePpMOqiC pic.twitter.com/mmsaXT4B8p

— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) September 26, 2025

Netanyahu started delivering his speech at the 80th session of the assembly at 1300GMT.

The mass walkout was in protest of Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza, which has killed more than 65,000 Palestinians since October 2023, most of them women and children.